2005 April.qxp

Lake Front
page 6
the
OUR LADY OF THE LAKE UNIVERSITY
April 2005
VOLUME 15, ISSUE 4
Low enrollment cited for campus closing
inside
Alfredo Valenzuela
EDITOR IN CHIEF
8
‘MISS CONGENIALITY 2’
Sequel disappoints
audiences and gets a
thumbs down.
6
‘COUNTER STRIKE’
Valve takes PC game
to new heights.
7
NASIO
Take part in an islandmusic getaway.
The Lake's Dallas campus, which saw its enrollment
hit a high point soon after
opening in 1996, then a
decline thereafter, soon will
close.
On March 21, President
Tessa Pollack sent an e-mail
out to faculty and staff notifying them of the decision to
shut down operations at the
Nippon Electric Company
(NEC) America Building,
where OLLU Dallas calls
home.
“When you look at the
numbers, we peaked right
after it opened and it has gone
down ever since,” said Dr.
Howard Benoist, provost.
The Dallas campus has
had a string of misfortunes,
including going through a
series of locations - first at a
community college campus,
then at another site, and finally to the NEC America
Building.
“If you are not stabilized
it is hard for a program to get
started and to get known,”
said Benoist.
Dr. Benoist, who was very
involved when the Dallas campus first got its start, said the
difference between the more
successful San Antonio and
Houston programs was a matter of timing.
OLLU was the first state
institution to offer weekend
classes and programs tailored
specifically to adult learners
and did not have any competition.
According to Dr. Benoist,
“We got into Dallas just as the
EDITOR
If it seems as if tuition
is increasing by the minute,
you aren’t far off. The steady
increase shows no signs of
letting up; add to that the
present threat of reducing
the Texas Equalization
Grant (TEG).
Many students may not
be aware that state legislators have been in talks to
reduce funding of the grant.
The potential slashing of the
grant could mean that many
universities will have their
special needs’ budget cut in
half.
Many
legislative
reports say that the
state could possibly
reduce $204 million
worth of grants to
many universities.
EDITOR
Leadership speaker
series: Drop it like it’s hot
with young leaders
4
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS BURRELL
Debate to bring diverse crowd
5
A DAY IN THE LIFE...
Teaching and advising
all in a day’s work for
Cynthia Cortez.
7
CLOTHING
An inside look at
how to define an
open mind.
Christina Szumierz
EDITOR
On April 13, four of the candidates for mayor will participate in a debate on campus.
This event will be sponsored by
the
Student
Government
Association (SGA).
“What the mayor does
while in office depends on who
is elected,” said John Trayhan,
professor of political science.
“It is incredible to have this
kind of civic awareness through
bringing this type of environment to (OLLU),” said SGA
president Amanda Concha.
“And we will have a very diverse
crowd of people across San
Antonio gathering for this
event.”
Out of nine candidates running for mayor, the four slated
to participate in the event are
considered the front-runners of
the election, according to
Concha.
The platforms of the four
candidates are presented on
their Web sites. The candidates
list the reasons why they should
be mayor at the top of the main
page along with bright pictures
of confident smiles.
“Students should vote
based on (a) candidate’s agenda
versus student’s concerns about
the community,” said Trayhan.
One student, sophomore
Jessica Garcia, said “I have
heard about the (mayoral
debate) and I think it’s important because it will inform us on
the candidates and will give us
insight on who they are and
what they plan to do for us.”
According to candidate
Julian Castro’s Web site, he
intends to expand San Antonio’s
economy in the hopes of including better jobs. He says that he
wants to protect the character of
the city’s quality of life by
encouraging long-term planning
and to enhance quality of life by
promoting water quality, clean
air, and green space expansion.
He also aims to change the culture of City Hall in order to
4
Jennifer Herrera
CONTINUED ON
PAGE
CONTINUED ON PAGE
SGA: Young
leaders
educate the
future
Grant caught in
tug of war
Jennifer Herrera
already established institutions in Dallas were starting
weekend programs so we did
not have that niche.”
“Weekend programs were
very unheard of when we
started,” he said. “Our weekend program was the only one
in the state when it got off the
floor. Programs for adult
learners have been growing
very strongly for the last few
years, even the University of
Texas in Austin is now offering a weekend MBA.”
make city government more
accountable and transparent.
“As mayor, I intend to lead
San Antonio into a new era of
expansion, and opportunity –
one in which we realize to its
fullest the unlimited potential of
this city’s greatest resource – its
people,” Castro states on castroforbexar.com.
According
to
Carroll
Schubert’s Web site, he wants to
improve the lives of the people
of San Antonio by taking care of
traditional city services, increasing mobility, spurring economic
development, and ensuring that
children have a quality education. Schubert aims to lower
taxes and decrease the bureaucracy, while increasing the effectiveness of city government.
One of Schubert’s most
publicized selling points is the
backing of Gov. Rick Perry, who
is notably present in numerous
photos with him.
CONTINUED ON PAGE
4
With good intentions in
mind, the Student Government
Association (SGA) hosted a
panel discussion of local young
leaders (those under the age of
30) in the hopes that many students would want to hear their
stories. That didn’t exactly happen. The panelists did share
their stories, but the attendance
at the gathering was low.
At 26, Jose Sena is the president of Blue Clover, a marketing and advertising agency.
Sena’s Blue Clover Company has
been in existence for a year and
a half. Sena came from the
Dominican
Republic
and
worked his way up after arriving
in the United States.
Blue Clover became a team
effort when he and his partners
did not take any salary for the
first couple of months so the
business would make it in the
long run.
“Follow your dream and
dream big,” Sena said.
Another speaker, San
Antonio
native
Michelle
Mcklenin grew up on the West
Side with her single mother. She
had hopes of getting an education and Mcklenin did just that.
She went to Stanford University
and is now the head organizer
for
the
Association
of
Community Organizations for
Reform Now (ACORN).
ACORN is an organization
that brings people together by
tackling
different
issues.
Mcklenin sits down with people
and finds out what issues they
really care about and finds people to help do something about
it.
CONTINUED ON PAGE
4
editorial
Page 2
editor in chief
Alfredo Valenzuela
uvalea
editor
Jennifer A. Herrera
uherrjen
editor
Christina Szumierz
uszumc
staff reporter
Patricia Gunter
uguntp
layout and design
Chris Burrell
uburrc
Marisa Rodriguez
urodrmd
photographers
Ryan Murray
umurry
Jezelle Tarin
utariz
contributors
Geraldo Alonso
Isidro Reyna
adviser
Kay O’Donnell
odonm
press
San Antonio Press
The opinions published in The
Lake Front are not necessarily
those of The Lake Front staff
or the faculty, staff, administration or student body of Our
Lady of the Lake University.
The Lake Front publication
strives to inform, entertain and
communicate with The Lake
and its surrounding communities. Advertisement information
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Determined to find the best fit
SOUNDING OFF
What do you think
is an important
characteristic for
a mayor to have?
Under the rules of attraction,
Even though San
Requisites for a Mayor
the better-looking person always
Antonio is the eighth(Blue Print)
takes precedence over the unatlargest city in America
Brain
tractive person. But when the
we have a smallissue at hand is something of
town mentality
great importance, such as
at times. As a
Distinguished / Wise
Full head
the upcoming mayoral
city,
the things of
Wrinkles (Not too many)
of hair
elections, a trivial
lesser importance are
thing like looks
profiled more in-depth
should not matter.
than
the
“actual”
Bright Smile
Unfortunately,
issues. For examhowever, for some it
ple, a news
does.
station
Thumbs m a y
In May the city
Up
of San Antonio will
h e l p
hold an election for
t a k e
the next mayor.
down a
Currently,
nine
business
candidates are on
after
a
board. Out of the
kitchen cop
nine candisegment runs,
dates,
but
they
four
of
decline to run a
Power
them will
story about how
Tie
be present
children in area
during
a
schools may be
debate held
overlooked due to their low
at 7 p.m. on
educational standings or in
April 13 at
some cases high educational
OLLU.
standings. Something as imporILLUSTRATION BY JESSE BLANCHARD
The
purpose
of
tant as the mayoral race should
debates such as this one is not only to get the commu- be considered immensely important.
nity as well as OLLU students involved, but also to
Currently, the voters have much better access to
educate the public about the candidates.
information concerning the candidates. Yet, many do
It is sometimes hard to educate the community not choose to become educated about a candidate;
about political candidates when all some people instead, they wait until they are standing at the
seemed concerned about is how the candidate dressed polling booth to make a decision; and this choice will
at his fundraiser, how old he is, how he grew up or affect the entire city.
how he unintentionally did not shake the hand of a
Think about it, registered voters are the ones that
prominent local businessman after addressing a are determining the outcome of the elections. These
crowd. People actually judge a candidate over these are potentially people who have not watched the maythings. With this election it is no different.
oral debates on television, read about the candidates
Three of the four candidates who have been in the newspaper, done research on any of the candireceiving a majority of the media attention have on dates, or even know what issues are important to the
their Web sites that they came from humble begin- candidates. It is absurd to even think that as a city we
nings to rise to high- powered positions in the com- could be picking the wrong choice for mayor because
munity. Is this some kind of a ploy to get the people to people focus on the minor things that do not concern
elect the candidate with the most sympathetic story? the city as a whole.
People love a candidate with a heartwarming story.
Knowing now what is at stake, when deciding
Oftentimes, the average person will feel empathy, and who is the right choice for mayor, consider the more
sway his or her vote, unaware that he or she did not important things, such as how does the candidate feel
once consider the issues at stake.
about education, crime, the development of the city,
Another topic that has been tossed around with or the possibility of bringing more businesses to San
this election is that of the candidates' ages. Julian Antonio. Issues such as these are supposed to be what
Castro is considerably younger than his competitors the voters are concerned about.
and some people in the city are a bit doubtful of havIt is the next four years that we will be dealing
ing such a young person hold such an important role with our new mayor, so as a community we have the
in the city. But our current mayor, Ed Garza, is young obligation to choose the right man for the position. It
as well and so far he has done a decent job in the polit- is our future; we should show some concern for how it
ical spectrum.
will be run.
6ft and over
STAFF
April 2005
EPISODE 13
SMOOTH CRIMINAL
Really, “Smooth
Criminal” was just the
name of the sonG! I
was not actually
pleading guilty..
JESSICA CHARLES
senior
“An understanding for the
people, honesty and
integrity.”
BRENDA MUNOZ
freshman
“Just to have honesty,
and caring.”
NICK BUSTOS
freshman
“Be able to lie well, and try
to improve the city.”
STEPHANIE DOMINGUEZ
sophomore
“They must stay true to
their word, be hardworking
and loyal.”
I can’t believe Michael
Jackson is on trial again.
You would think he would
have learned after what he
did to me...
I mean, kicking me
out of neverland
was bad enough..
BY CHRIS BURRELL
opinion
April 2005
Page 3
God and religion
in the United States
Geraldo Alonzo
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
God and religion are in the news
once again. The Supreme Court will be
addressing the issue of God and religion
but this time the higher court will be
reviewing whether or not the Ten
Commandments can be displayed as
monuments by the states.
Previously, the issue before the
court was whether or not God could be
mentioned in the Pledge of Allegiance
and the Supreme Court dodged the
issue because of a technicality. I am certain that eventually the Supreme Court
will be hearing a case as to whether or
not it is constitutional to have the term
“In God We Trust” on the dollar.
The issue of God and religion in
the United States is one that stirs the
waters because everyone has a different
interpretation of the issue. Why is God
and religion a concern? The answer is
that many of us have accepted the idea
Race for mayor
mirrors circus
that the term “separation of church and
state” is a constitutional phrase.
However, that famous term is not found
in the Constitution of the United States.
Is this news to you?
What is found is the Establishment
Clause of the First Amendment. This
clause states that Congress can not
establish a religion by law and Congress
can not prohibit the free practice of any
religion in the United States. The idea
of “separation of church and state”
came to light when Thomas Jefferson
wrote in a letter that there should be “a
wall of separation between the church
and the state”. When considering God
and religion, we should be take into
account what the Constitution has to
say in the First Amendment.
Does the display of the Ten
Commandments
violate
the
Constitution? In my opinion, the display of the Ten Commandments does
not because with the display neither the
LAKE REPORTER
Negative campaign ads? Flip-flopping? No, this is not the presidential
race all over again, it’s the supposed
non-partisan race for a run-off, I mean,
mayoral election taking place right here
in San Antonio.
And just where did this negative
campaigning begin? Well, if mudslinging had a poll, Phil Hardberger would
win the race, with Carroll Schubert riding in on Hardberger’s coattails at a
close second.
What is all comes down to folks, is
this is the beginning of what could be a
three ring circus.
On this side of the ring, we have
Hardberger,
whose
opponent,
Councilman Carroll Schubert has
accused of having made “millions of
dollars suing doctors and small businesses.” Hardberger is also courting the
North Side and over-50 vote.
On the other side of the ring is
Schubert, also courting the North Side
vote. Recently, he has been accused of
being behind the smear campaign that
called candidate Julian Castro “the
councilman from the West Side.” Ouch.
Is coming from the West Side supposed
to be a bad thing? I guess if you’re
Schubert it does.
Recently,
in
Hardberger’s
$120,000 commercial, he slammed
Castro’s age and ambition in what is
probably the first under-the-belt attack
that we have seen so far in what is turning out to be a hotly contested campaign.
Being your next mayor is going to
take wisdom (meaning he’s 70 and
Castro is not) to take us into the future.
Being your next mayor is my destination, not just a stepping stone (referring
to Castro’s political ambition),
Hardberger said. Ouch.
Worst of all, he calls Castro a flipflopper (meaning the PGA deal).
CONTINUED ON PAGE
5
Austin: Just off the steps of our pink granite capitol you can find a statue of the
Ten Commanments. This statue is the cause of some controversy recently.
states nor the federal government are
establishing a “state-sponsored religion”. When the states display the Ten
Commandments it is not requiring the
citizenry to worship the displays. The
display of the Ten Commandments just
displays many of the mores that our
nation has adopted — it does not set up
the Religion of the United States of
America.
Where have all the alumni gone?
Isidro R. Reyna
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Patricia Gunter
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS BURRELL
When I graduate from The Lake, I
want to be proud of the thousands of
dollars that I invested into my education.
I want to look back at my years
spent at the University with great
pride, knowing that I utilized the
resources that were available and maximized my potential.
I want to know that I absorbed the
ever-so-addictive “cultural attitude”
that OLLU confidently boasts to the
public.
Is this possible?
One of the resources the
University provides is the alumni
office, located in the McNelly suite in
Moye building.
Many people on campus, including professors and students, attempt to
use the alumni office, in hopes of tracking down alumni for possible networking opportunities and connections. The
problem is that The Lake alumni seem
to have disappeared and there is no
way to locate them.
Why is this?
I know armadillos are known to
carry the trait for leprosy, but surely
our alumni did not get that. I’ve met
The Armadillo and happen to think he
is a pretty cool guy.
After looking at St. Mary’s
University in San Antonio, I tried to
figure out what makes their alumni
base so strong.
It occurred to me that there are a
few things that can make a huge difference, and if we possibly implemented
some of the more practical ideas, we
might have more Armadillos eagerly
running back toward their alma mater.
First, why not hire actual alumni
to run the alumni office?
The alumni office at OLLU is run
by Carolyn Young who is not an alumna of the University. Young is supposed
to serve as an advisor to the Alumni
Executive Council (AEC).
After speaking with members of
the AEC, it seems as though the AEC
serves as an advisor to Young. If this is
the case, why not hire one of the members of the AEC to serve as the alumni
office director, since they do the job
already, and actually have a true connection with the University.
St. Mary’s University’s alumni
office director is a graduate of their
university, and because of this, he is
able to serve as liaison between their
executive council, as he understands
the needs and wants of the University.
Secondly, the alumni office should
stop asking for money; especially from
students who recently graduated.
OLLU is a great institution that
offers programs that truly mold students into community leaders, teachers, journalists, and professionals.
Although the University produces great
results, most college students do not
get rich immediately, and need time to
pay back the loans that aided them in
affording the high tuition at The Lake.
Finally, the alumni office should
instill pride in their constituents by
producing quality events that would
make alumni want to return to their
alma mater.
Why not try something like St.
Mary’s Fiesta Oyster Bake?
That is a true event that instills
pride in the alumni at St. Mary’s
University, while helping the recruitment and fundraising efforts of the
school.
The Fiesta Oyster Bake grosses
more than $1 million and sees net revenues of nearly half of that amount.
This money goes toward the St. Mary’s
alumni endowment fund, which provides over 70 full and partial scholarships for students.
The Lake has so much potential
that can make it the leading institution
of higher education in the city of San
Antonio. It’s sad that the University
does not maximize its own potential, by
providing the resources to the ones
that respect it the most, its alumni.
Reminder to Students:
The Financial Aid office began sending
award letters for the 2005-06 academic
school year to OLLU e-mail address in
March.
If you haven’t activated your OLLU e-mail
address, please do so as soon as possible.
news
Senate hopes to restore TEG funding
Page 4
April 2005
TEG
PHOTO BY RYAN MURRAY
According to Diana Perez, financial
aid director, OLLU makes the most of
its institutional resources.
OLLU the site
of upcoming
mayoral debate
MAYOR
CONTINUED
“Carroll Schubert is a conservative, innovative leader who knows
how to get things done. Over the past
three years, I have witnessed Carroll’s
leadership on a number of issues having state and national implications. I
look forward to working in partnership with him when he becomes
Mayor of San Antonio,” stated Perry
on schubertformayor.com.
According
to
Judge
Phil
Hardberger’s Web site, if elected
mayor, he would cut waste and excessive spending, hire a qualified city
manager, and make city government
more “service oriented.”
In addition, he intends to
improve emergency services, streets,
transit, and water services, and promote solid economic development.
He also boasts a strong sense of leadership, which he attributes in part to
his office of chief justice, Fourth
District of Texas, and Court of
Appeals in San Antonio.
“Working together, we can build
an exciting San Antonio, preserving
the values of our past and reaching
the future for ourselves, our children
and generations to come. Our challenge is what we will do with the
resources we have. Join hands with
me on this and there is no limit on
what we can do together,” said
Hardberger on philformayor.com.
Mayoral candidate Rhett Smith
was invited to watch the debate from
the audience and therefore will not be
participating. This is due to his status
as a forerunner, but not a lead contender in the mayoral race.
“Rhett Smith will be available to
answer questions from students at the
conclusion of the debate if there are
any who wish to hear his side of the
issues discussed,” said Cesar Roman,
SGA upperclassman representative.
Smith also has a Web site where
he states his platform and wants to
hear responses from the people of San
Antonio regarding the issues most
important to them.
The debate will take place 7 p.m.
in Thiry Auditorium.
A big turnout from the Lake community, as well as from San Antonio,
is expected.
CONTINUED
According to Diana Perez,
director of financial aid, the House
of Representatives is looking to cut
5 percent of the funding; that
would be the worst-case scenario
for students. On the Senate side,
they are hoping to restore 100 percent of the allocation, which would
be best scenario for students. The
decisions on these issues will not
be made until the end of May or
the beginning of June.
The
Student
Government
Association (SGA) is requesting that
no drastic changes come to the grant.
SGA and financial aid members, along
with a few students, rallied in Austin
recently to express their concern about
losing vital funding for the university
as well as the student body.
“It was a great networking
opportunity
for
the
schools
involved,” SGA Vice President Isidro
Reyna said.
Many local universities gathered
in Austin to encourage the legislators
to support full TEG funding.
Students from OLLU spoke with
state Sen. Frank Madla of District 19
and state Rep. Ruth Jones
McClendon of District 120. Both are
in favor of the grant and believe that
there should not be a reduction in
funding.
According to the financial aid
section of the OLLU Web site, TEG is
“funded by the State through the
Texas
Higher
Education
Coordinating Board.” The amount of
the award is based on enrollment status, need and state funding.
Many students at OLLU are on
some kind of financial aid, whether
from state-funded grants or scholarships.
“We maximize our funding to try
to spread our institutional resources
as best as we can,” Perez said.
The TEG program is a large one
at that. According to the Web site
collegefortexans.com, in 2003-2004,
27,994 students received awards.
The maximum amount allocated to a
student can be up to $3,653 per
school year. Currently 1,100 students, including both undergraduates and graduates, are helped by
TEG funding at OLLU.
SGA discusses elections, return to dean format
SGA CONTINUED
Speaker Gerardo Menchaca is an attorney as well as the
campaign manager for mayoral candidate Julian Castro. He
emigrated from Mexico to San Antonio at 18 years old to
attend college.
After graduating from college, Menchaca enrolled at St.
Mary’s for law school. He has been practicing law for three
years. Menchaca showed confidence in his craft as he asserted that he finds it stimulating to venture outside the box.
One word was tossed around by all three panelists:
energy. Being a young professional they each believe that
having energy is their main drive.
General Council meeting
SGA’s first meeting back from Spring Break was a
“catch up” of the happenings from the previous month to the
events ahead for the general council.
The first topic discussed was that of the decision
announced by Dr. Howard Benoist, provost, to shift back to
the dean structure within the university. Each school in the
university will return to the school’s traditional roots and
have a dean, with the exception of the Worden School of
Social Services which will have a director.
SGA elections were also discussed. Something new will
be added to the election process this time around. Last election there was a debate between the SGA presidential candidates; this time, anyone running for the board of director
positions will also be included in the debate.
A much-deserved accolade was given to a few organizations as well as SGA as a whole for their involvement in the
Tsunami Relief Efforts; OLLU raised $4,033 for the cause.
Many events are in store for SGA from the upcoming
mayoral debate, to be held on campus in April, to their own
SGA elections.
Gay benefits a possibility at U. Florida
However, measure does face
opposition from leading trustee.
Megan Seery
INDEPENDENT FLORIDA ALLIGATOR (U. FLORIDA)
(U-WIRE) GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The University of
Florida may be on the cusp of providing partner benefits to
gay and lesbian faculty and staff -- but probably not until the
Florida Legislature goes on spring break.
Murmurs among UF officials speculate that the university wants to wait for an end to the current legislative session
before officially discussing the topic -- a move to avoid
offending conservative lawmakers who control much of the
university's funding.
UF President Bernie Machen said in a recent interview
that acquiring the benefits “is not a matter of if, but a matter
of when,” noting there have been some “technical problems.”
The benefits issue is expected to come before the UF
Board of Trustees sometime this year, UF Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgender Affairs Director Tamara Cohen
said in January.
In addition, interim Provost Joe Glover told the
Orlando Sentinel in March that UF could be the first state
university to provide same-sex partner benefits.
Cohen, Glover and other administrators did not reply to
requests seeking comment.
Craig Lowe, Gainesville's first openly gay city commissioner, said, “We're (UF) probably only a short time away
from having domestic-partner benefits for faculty and staff,”
at a March 21 Pride Student Union event.
However, state Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, recently
criticized UF for appointing a director of lesbian and gay
affairs, saying, “It makes it difficult for me to come up here
and support giving more taxpayer dollars to institutions with
these kinds of values.”
But many of the schools UF seeks to emulate have those
“values.”
Eight out of the U.S. News & World Report Top 10 public universities offer their faculty and staff some form of
domestic-partner benefits, such as health care or discounted
tuition. The University of Michigan, where Machen once
“We're (University of Florida) probably only a
short time away from having domestic-partner
benefits for faculty and staff.”
Craig Lowe
GAINESVILLE CITY COMMISSIONER
worked, has offered its faculty domestic partner benefits for
10 years.
Despite the political climate, Michigan officials “will
continue to offer these benefits and, should we be challenged, we will defend our right to do so,” Vice President
Laurita Thomas wrote in an open letter posted on the university's Web site.
But UF Trustee Al Warrington said UF would be wrong
to follow in the steps of Michigan and University of
California schools.
“The fact that a few left-coast schools have done it doesn't impress me,” he said. “They do all kinds of wrong things
out there.”
Warrington, for whom UF's college of business is
named, was opposed to the benefits issue when it came up at
a Trustees meeting in 2003.
“It's a violation against state law and biblical law,” he
said. “I'm not for discrimination, but this tears at the moral
fiber of our country.”
Domestic-partner benefits would open a “Pandora's
box” because unmarried heterosexual couples and people in
casual relationships might abuse the system, he said.
“There's just no limit on it,” Warrington said. “It's an
endless pit.”
It's hard to say how domestic-partner benefits would
affect UF's standing with the Legislature, though lawmakers
are inclined to appoint trustees who do not support domestic-partner benefits, he added.
“I think they appreciate the fact that someone's willing
to stand up for Florida law and not be in favor of the university administration,” he said. “Short of the Lord, no one will
change my opinion.”
news
April 2005
A day in the
life of...
Marisa Rodriguez
LAKE REPORTER
Leading a double life is all in a day’s work for
financial aid counselor Cynthia Cortez.
Cortez splits her time between awarding financial aid to students to teaching an introduction to psychology class and an introduction to sociology class.
This adds up to her being a busy woman on campus.
Cortez typically wakes at 6 a.m., leaves the house
by 7:30 a.m., and makes her way to the nearest
Starbucks for her usual white chocolate mocha with
chocolate syrup drizzled on top.
She drives to OLLU while sipping her coffee and
listening to meditation music provided by a local
Christian radio station in preparation for the hectic
day ahead.
“It (the music) pacifies me. It helps prepare me
and gives a calming effect to my upcoming day,”
Cortez said.
Calm is the atmosphere that comes to mind after
just a glance into Cortez’s office. Her office in the
Walter Center is small, but has an at-home feel to it.
The walls are painted in warm colors, and the florescent lights are turned off in favor of soft lighting
placed in ideal places. Scented candles release an
exquisite aroma down the hall, inviting students to
come into her office.
It is easy to tell she is very proud of her accomplishments in life by glancing at her walls. Two
framed degrees from OLLU are on the wall along with
her employee of the month award, and most importantly, photographs of her family. Her face lights up,
when talking about her two sons, Ronnie and Rocky.
She will tell you that Ronnie is at OLLU earning his
degree and Rocky, an OLLU alum, is in Kuwait working as a private contractor. She also beams when
talking about her husband of 28 years, Roy.
Cortez is a very busy woman. As she updates
employee grant-in-aids and awards, work study
employees ask for help with incoming phone calls and
new financial aid counselor, Jennifer Tamayo asks for
advice on awarding students. Cortez, always willing
to help out, motions for Tamayo to pull up a chair
next to her.
Once the clock hits 11:30 a.m., Cortez transforms
from financial aid counselor to psychology instructor.
In class, Cortez requests feedback from her
students on her lectures. At this particular class,
Cortez presents a video regarding the real-life effects
of college students who participate in binge drinking.
The feedback of just one student begins with Cortez
asking him what he thought about the video. The discussion quickly transforms into a deep, intellectual
conversation on becoming motivated in life.
Cortez gives the student examples from other
people and from her life, as well, to help further
prove her point.
After teaching her psychology class, Cortez
resumes her role as financial aid counselor. She
continues to award grants and loans to students.
Every little bit of money Cortez can award is just
a mere stepping stone for students who are trying
to earn a degree.
Cortez also travels with the admissions office to
help recruit high school seniors to OLLU. Cortez has
plenty of experience in recruitment. She began her
career at OLLU seven years ago in the admissions
office as an admissions assistant. At the admissions
office, she received experience by talking to incoming
freshman about their future. She helped motivate
them to continue their education.
It is evident that Cortez has a passion for education and wants to spread her passion to students.
“If you were to sit in one of my lecture classes,
not a day will go by where I don’t say ‘don’t forget why
you’re here and what this will do for you when you
walk that stage.’ The importance of education and
my passion for why I did it is what I want them to
eventually see at the end of that semester.”
A full day of work for Cortez does not end at
5 p.m. in the financial aid office. As she leaves
her office, she switches again to teacher mode
and travels to St. Philip’s College. At St.
Dr. Benoist promises to
work with Dallas students
DALLAS
CONTINUED
Officials at the NEC America
Building require six-month notice
before operations can come to an end.
In those six months before phase out,
Trimester III will go on as planned with
the exception of those students recruited to start in Trimester III.
Once the campus closes, the
administration has said it will work
with remaining students and get them
enrolled at other institutions in Dallas.
“The ones that we are more concerned about are those students who
are between 18 hours of completion
with their degree plans,” said Benoist.
“We will work with them to either place
them elsewhere to continue their education or work with them online, or for
those who are near graduation we will
try with other programs to get them to
commencement.”
Dr. Benoist also noted, as far as
the faculty and staff goes, if they are
willing to move, they will either be
placed in San Antonio or in Houston.
When it comes down to it, the revenue from tuition OLLU was receiving
from Dallas did not equal the cost of
running the program. According to Dr.
Benoist, in the last academic year,
$227,000 was subsidized to cover the
costs of running Dallas. This year, projected costs were an estimated
$283,000.
In an e-mail President Pollack
sent to faculty and staff, she advises
what should be the next step for OLLU.
“The university community must
reflect its efforts to generate new
tuition revenue through programs,
delivery models, and partnerships that
distinguish OLLU in the higher education marketplace by its mission by its
university direction,” she said.
Candidate age not a factor
RACE
CONTINUED
Here we go again — and just when
you thought that phrase was dead
Hardberger goes and resurrects it.
Since when is ambition such a bad
thing anyway? Some of our best figures
in history were young rulers.
For example, Napoleon thought he
was a man of destiny. Some would even
go so far as calling him an egomaniac.
But Castro is no egomaniac. As the
youngest city councilman to be elected
into office at 26, he is simply carving
OPINION
out a decent career in public office at
best.
What’s more, Alexander the Great,
Napoleon’s hero, was also quite young
when he conquered most of the civilized world. He was 20 when he became
king of Macedonia.
Castro is 31, and he just wants to
be your next mayor. Let the games
begin and let’s pray this doesn’t go into
a run-off election or we’re in for a very
long ride.
Page 5
Philip’s, or St. Phil’s as Cortez calls the community
college, she teaches introduction to sociology.
“I want the students to feel comfortable and not
to leave here because they have no one to push them.
I will say ‘hey you know I am going to see to it that you
are successful’ and if it means me staying on top of
them about their homework, e-mailing them, it helps
me have a better relationship with the students. It’s a
positive thing,” Cortez said.
Her upbeat, driven personality and her love for
encouraging students to continue their education
helps to fulfill her day.
“The day goes by fast by enjoying someone’s face
light up because I helped make it happen,” Cortez
said.
PHOTO BY RYAN MURRAY
news
Page 6
April 2005
something
new,
something
blue
To coincide with the
new branding of
OLLU, blue directional
signs have been
popping up all around
campus.
PHOTO BY
CHRISTINA SZUMIERZ
POLICE BEAT
Worden School
Feb. 8
Investigate Disturbance
An officer was dispatched to the Worden
School for a disturbance call from a complianant. The complainant (professor) stated
there was a disgruntled student that would not
leave. Upon arrival the officer met with the student who stated she was having a disagreement
with the complainant at the Worden School.
The officer took the student’s information and
statement. Both the student and the complainant left the University with no incident.
Nothing further reported.
Moye Building
Feb. 6
Alarm/Equipment Malfunctions
An officer received a fire alarm notification over
the emergency phone patch for Moye Building.
Upon arrival the officer did not detect any signs of
smoke or fire. The officer notified Standby
Maintenance. Nothing further reported.
Lot J
Feb. 6
Vehicle Stop
An officer while on patrol was stopped by a
complainant who stated there was a red vehicle
speeding up and down Durango Street and then
turning in to Lot J. The office pulled over the suspect
who was a juvenile. The suspect was unable to provide insurance or a driver’s license. The suspect stated his mother was just down the street. The officer
escorted the suspect to his mother. Nothing further
reported.
Main Building
Feb. 9
Injured Person Report
An officer was dispatched to the UWAC for
an injured person report. Upon arrival the officer met with the complainant who stated she
twisted her ankle. The complainant refused
EMS. The officer took the complainant’s information. The complainant stated she was going
to have a friend take her to
her medical clinic. Nothing
further reported.
FEBRUARY POLICE STATISTICS
26%
SICK/INJURED
PERSON REPORT
26%
MOTOR
ASSIST
11%
LOST/FOUND
PROPERTY
18%
OTHER
7%
INFORMATION
REPORT
6%
ALARM
MALFUNCTION
6%
DAMAGED
PROPERTY
Percentages based on information provided by OLLU Campus Police.
Centennial Hall
Feb. 9
Investigate
Suspicious Person
An officer received a
call via the emergency
phone patch from a resident assistant at Centennial
Hall for a suspicious person. The RA stated that a
female student was being
followed by a suspicious
person. After receiving the
description of the suspicious person the officer
searched the Campus, but
could not locate the individual.
Nothing further
reported.
Residence Life
Feb. 14
Information Report
An officer was dispatched to Residence Life
to take a statement. Upon
arrival the officer met with the Assistant Director of
Residence Life. The officer met with the complainant who stated she went into a male student’s
dorm room and he tried to force her to have sexual
intercourse. The complainant stated she was able to
push the male student off of her. The complainant
stated she did not want to press charges. The officer
gave her sworn statement to fill out. Nothing further
reported.
Ayres Hall
Feb. 15
Information Report
An officer assisted in directing traffic for a
motor vehicle accident on 24th Street and East Rd.
The officer gathered both individuals information
that were involved with the accident. EMS was
refused by both parties. Nothing further reported.
Sueltenfuss Library
Feb. 16
Damage to University Property
An officer was dispatched to the Suletenfuss
Library to take a report on damaged property. Upon
arrival the officer met with the complainant who
explained that a window on the third floor had shattered. The officer gathered the complainant’s information and took photographs of the broken window.
Maintenance supervisor was notified. Nothing further reported.
Flores Lounge
Feb. 17
Disorderly Conduct
An officer was dispatched to the Flores lounge
C-Store for a complaint against a student. Upon
arrival the officer met with the complainant, an
employee at the C-Store, who stated she was being
harassed by a student. The officer took complainant’s information and description of the suspect. The officer had the complainant fill out a sworn
statement form. Nothing further reported.
Lot H
Feb. 24
Traffic Accident
A sergeant encountered a traffic accident on
Ayers Road. The sergeant gathered both parties
information. Both parties refused EMS. The sergeant issued both parties a case number. Nothing
further reported.
The POLICE BEAT is provided by Campus Police.
Events and dates are accurate according to police
reports taken by on-duty officers. Names are withheld
for the privacy of The Lake community.
entertainment
April 2005
Page 7
Urban hippie fashion a
way to ‘express yourself ’
Trio of founders aim to express
‘historical tie’ with clothing line.
Alfredo Valenzuela
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Remember those “I'm With Stupid” T-shirts?
What about “Amerika Libre” T-shirts from Inka
Clothing? Well those you might not have seen.
“Amerika Libre,” is just one of the many political and social message T-shirts printed by Inka
Clothing. Translated as “America Free,” this is just
one of the messages Inka Clothing founders want to
get across.
Starting off a new year with a bang, Eli Tarin
and his sister Erika Tarin, along with their friend
Bert Maddux, joined forces and formed 25 Zero
Media, a license-limited corporation.
Inka Clothing is a subsidiary of 25 Zero Media,
named in respect of the Inca Indians from Southern
America. After endless nights of brainstorming, and
inspired by the books and film on revolution guru
Che Guevara, the founders of Inka Clothing found
its muse.
“We wanted to have a historical tie,” said Erika.
“We just felt there was a link missing to our history,
you know, who we are today.”
During this past holiday season, Inka Clothing,
located in Midland Park Mall, sold the first of its
four designs of urban hippie fashion to the public.
Normally, when you think of clothing
for Hispanics, the stereotypes of low riders
and gangsters seems to be prevalent.
“That is not who we all are. We want to
have clothing that represents who we are
in actuality,” said Eli.
While receiving an overall positive public reaction, Eli seems to be
amazed when customers share their
experiences.
“It's been great; the response from San Antonio
and our hometown of Midland has been positive,”
said Erika.
While in college, the Tarin siblings and
Maddux combined their own ideas to found 25 Zero,
a media company which covers all aspects of the
media.
“We plan to do radio, commercials, movies,
and advertising, while surrounding everything with
a positive political and social message,” said Erika.
If Inka Clothing were to make it big, the Tarin
siblings and Maddux feel it is only natural to keep a
base of operation at First Friday, down in the heart
of the historic King William Art District.
But for now, they get inspiration and motivation from even the smallest of gestures. Eli said,
“One day while we were at Midland Park Mall a man
Fontaine gives insight into
rasta way of life on ‘Living’
Christina Szumierz
EDITOR
For those who did not get enough
of the islands over Spring Break, an
album bathed in the upbeat melodies of
reggae soul is sure to help ease those
post-vacation woes. Listening to this
newest effort from Nasio Fontaine is
sure to instantly return you to the
sandy beaches, where you can glisten in
the warm sunshine.
In this album titled "Living in the
Positive," Nasio boasts a flavor that has
been compared to the late Bob Marley.
With this album he offers faithful reggae listeners a reminiscent glimpse of
the "Golden Age," when the Rasta way
of life, as well as the music, was king,
with artists like Bob Marley, Peter
Tosh, and Burning Spear.
Casual reggae listeners are also
sure to enjoy this latest endeavor with
lively tracks like "New Song" and
"Riding On." The beats to these
songs put the audience into a
grove, with catchy but truly original lyrics that can have anyone
singing to them in no time.
If you are a true
lover of reggae and
are
wondering
why you haven't
heard of this
artist before, the
answer may be simple and
somewhat disappointing.
Nasio Fontaine has been
on the scene since the mid'90s with the release of his
album, "Reggae Power," but
his album was not given as
much hype as it deserved
because his style did not follow that of
PHOTO COURTESY OF NASIOREGGAE.COM
Nasio Fontaine’s latest album, ‘Living
in the Past,’ hit store shelves early
this year.
his trendy-modern counterparts.
A good example of this is the innocent, sweet melody in the love song
"Herb and Loving" featured on "Living
in the Positive." The simple purity of
Nasio's emotion is evocative of an era
when reggae was love and happiness.
Nasio has a true love for the
islands, hailing from the Dominica
and St. Maarten
islands.
And
although he is not
from Jamaica, this fact
does not distract from his
truly authentic reggae
sound. He is probably the
first in a long time to put
out a classic version of
the music in its truest
form.
This album is
definitely worth picking up and
keeping in the front of your CD holder
filed under "perfect for a pick me up,"
or "going to the beach."
and
LOGO PROVIDED BY
his
son
INKACLOTHING.COM
passed
by
and the little
kid asked, 'Dad what does that say?' The father turned
around and started translating our shirt for his son.
That was incredible to see a father help his son understand our message. It was very motivating.”
To get their product out to the masses, the creative minds behind Inka Clothing are putting together
a Web site.
“Through the Internet you can go globally, so
once the Web site is completed it will be much easier
to get our word across,” said Eli.
If you would like to get your hands on one of Inka
Clothing's products, you can stop by their table at
First Fridays get it off their Web site www.inkaclothes.com.
Page 8
entertainment
April 2005
‘Counter-Strike’: not
the game it used to be
Chris Burrell
LAKE REPORTER
“Counter-Strike Source,” a modification of the muchanticipated PC game “Half-Life 2,” was released to gamer
enthusiasts around the world on Oct. 7, 2004.
The game was available for purchase through a clientbased system called Steam and users could download the
game directly to their computer, of course, only after they
had purchased it with a credit card. The game is an update
from the popular, previous version of “Counter-Strike,”
which ran off the original “Half-Life” engine. The game was
available to gamers a few months prior to the official release;
however, you had to pay an additional fee to test the game.
“Counter-Strike Source,” as mentioned above, is an
update to an already existing game. The older version of the
game is arguably the most-played PC game worldwide, and
Valve, the owners of both versions, have high hopes of cashing in on the gaming centers all over the world which feature
“Counter-Strike” (currently in version 1.6) or “CounterStrike Source.”
“Counter-Strike 1.6” has been used in various tournaments worldwide and is known widely for its large player
base. The tournaments are slowly moving out of 1.6 and into
Source, but this is splitting the community in half. Some
players are not happy with the switch, but the players must
evolve with the game.
“Source” has a large number of changes from the previous version. Flashbang grenades, in addition to blinding all
who are near it, now cause players in the area to become
deaf, which can throw a whole new spin to the game. Highexplosive grenades also can hurl a player into the air if close
enough (as well as do some nasty damage).
The new engine employs a new form of model rendering
as well. The players, as you see them, look more realistic and
the death of a player looks different every time. The engine
uses a type of “rag doll” physics, which takes into account all
the objects around the player and lets the corpse fall onto the
objects as a rag doll would, hence the name.
The new gaming engine is a definite plus for the overall
look and feel of the game. The graphics of the “Half-Life 2”
engine (the same engine “Counter-Strike Source” uses) are
unmatched as of today. Water and most reflective surfaces look so real they will make you look twice. Most
of the areas in the game also use an advanced form
of lighting, which creates detailed shadows and
effects. Players also can interact with most of
the environment around them, unlike the
original version of the game. Barrels,
milk cartons, and even bottles can be
moved around just by giving them a
nudge.
However, all of these perks come
at a cost. If your computer is not able
to keep up with the game then performance of the game will be less than
acceptable. A minimum of a 3.0 GHz
processor, GeforceFX 5950, and a gigabyte
or more of RAM is recommended. You can go
lower than this and still be able to run the game,
but you will notice a significant drop in frame
rates and performance.
Overall, “Counter-Strike Source” is a great
game, but there are a few bugs that need attention. “Counter-Strike Source” is going to over
take the previous version in terms of competitions, but not for some time. “Source” is a great
way to pass the time by staring at pretty colors
and shiny surfaces, but I would not recommend it if you are looking for a strong competitive game like “Counter-Strike 1.6.”
If you want to try “Counter-Strike 1.6”
or “Counter-Strike Source” for yourself,
www.steampowered.com is a great place to
start. You will need to download the client
and purchase the games through them. Or,
if you are old school, just go pick up a copy
of “Half-Life 2” (which I fully recommend)
at your local computer or gaming store.
PHOTO COURTESY OF VALVE
Bullock's presence fails to save pointless sequel
(U-WIRE) ANN ARBOR, Mich. It's been five years since “Miss
Congeniality” turned Sandra Bullock's
hard-boiled ugly duckling into a tiarawearing swan. The follow-up, “Miss
Congeniality 2,” arrives a good two
years too late, missing much of its original cast as well as any real purpose. Yet
for all this, the film does have one really great joke. Too bad it's on whoever
bought tickets.
The movie picks up shortly after
the events of the first film, determined
to repeat its predecessor's formula.
Reverting back to her slovenly ways
after being crowned Miss Congeniality
at the Miss United States pageant, FBI
agent Gracie Hart (Bullock) has to
endure yet another makeover at the
hands of another witty stylist (this time
played by “The Drew Carey Show” alum
Diedrich Bader). She's then summoned
to duty when her friends, the new Miss
United States and pageant promoter
Stan Fields (William Shatner), are kidnapped by a pair of hooded thugs.
Regina King (“Ray”) co-stars as her belligerent sidekick.
While the first movie unified its
funny scenes around a mildly clever
concept (“Pygmalion” at the pageant!),
“Miss Congeniality 2” plays like a crude
patchwork of sketch comedy sequences
compiled to mimic the timing of the
first movie's trailer. Diving foolishly
into a crowd? Check. Snorting? Check.
Groin jokes and falling down aplenty?
PHOTO COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES
Sandra Bullock (right) and Regina King (left) practice fighting techniques in ‘Miss
Congeniality 2.’
Oh yeah.
The film avoids becoming downright offensive for about half an hour,
mostly because the actors carry their
material so well. King is ferocious and
funny; Bader is much sharper than his
lame, rehashed material warrants; and
if Shatner doesn't get the laughs he
should, it's because audience members
are too busy thinking about low-cost
airfare instead of watching the movie.
Screenwriter Marc Lawrence
(“Two Weeks Notice”) has a knack for
tailoring absurd, quick-turning dialogue to Bullock's deadpan delivery; she
elicits consistent chuckles during the
film's first act. But charming as Bullock
is, she's on the wrong side of 40 for this
role, and her close-ups don't hide it.
Eventually she won't be able to compete
in a niche market with actresses like
Reese Witherspoon, and movies like
“Miss Congeniality 2” do no favors for
her fading career.
Bullock also loses much of her lowkey appeal with the outlandish physical
comedy she's reduced to by the end. In
an embarrassing, overlong scene placed
uncomfortably mid-climax, Bullock and
King perform a Tina Turner song at a
drag club in Las Vegas. Agent Hart
declares in earnest tones that the only
way to find their perp is to win the
karaoke contest and get backstage.
Apparently flashing your badge and
saying “FBI” just doesn't have the same
pizzazz.
What follows is a tedious rescue
sequence in which Bullock outwits the
entire FBI but can't quite conquer her
frilly showgirl outfit. All the loose ends
are tied up with brevity if not conviction, and Shatner gets off the best line
in the film (“There's a cannon in my
porthole!”) before the movie flounders
to its predictable, but not unwelcome
end.
During the course of the movie,
Hart seems to gain confidence, composure and a deep sense of self-respect.
But it's hard to shake the feeling that
when “Miss Congeniality 3” rolls
around, she'll be a neurotic and
unkempt loser once again.
Amanda Andrade
Michigan Daily (U. Michigan)